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I Went to the Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, and I felt like Royalty
Okay, so maybe not finish royalty. That one Duke nobody has ever heard of, but still retains the title. Gerion Lannister, for example. Bet you didn’t realize there even was a Gerion Lannister in Game of Thrones lore. Anyways, that’s what this monumental event felt like: being Royalty among the Royal.
Three.0 CSL in eye-catching ‘Green Hell’ livery
The Quail has been an event during Monterey Car Week since 2003, hosted at the eponymous Quail Lodge and Golf Course. I had never been, and what a mistake this had proved. This might lack the established pedigree and formality of the Pebble Beach Concours, but it makes up for it in so many ways and, in my discreet opinion, even surpasses Pebble. Put it this way: I didn’t want to leave. Checking my step-counter app and I had walked over five miles, just circling the demonstrate and every car over and over, such as the ambience of the event. The Quail is not just about the cars, but everything. It’s a royal tournament and everyone wants to be there.
Classic two hundred seventy five GTB/Four
Let’s see, who did I meet. Tormentor Jackie Stewart, Jay Leno, Horacio Pagani, Christian von Koenigsegg, John Hennessey, Bruno SENNA, Gil de Ferran, Marino Franchitti, and Magnus Walker. I also spotted Michael Strahan walking about as well as Amir Khan and Roger Penske. I’m sure I witnessed many other famous peoples and hadn’t even realized who they were or just perhaps missed them. I mean, where else would you expect to see and bump into such automotive and racing elite? Maybe Monte Carlo.
Rimac Concept One. The car that almost killed Richard Hammond
Inwards the Quail on the beautiful, lush fairway, you’ll find several (I think I counted five?) large tents sporadically about. Your entry includes what truly is an all-you-can-eat buffet, of whatever diversity of food you desire. I chose to go to the Hong Kong tent to attempt the exotic delicacies of the far East. I’m not sure what I ate exactly, but it was delicious. Next, I headed over to another and loved lamb meatballs, also exceptional, as well as some seafood. Yep, that’s right, leap in line and grab however many oysters and caviar you’d like. I had never had either before. Caviar, eh, it’s okay; a most interesting fish byproduct. The Oysters were wonderful tho’, asking myself, “Why haven’t I had these sooner in my life?”
A very well dressed Michael Strahan admiring some Pagani’s
Oh, and there’s also drinks: Wine, champagne, cocktails, you name it. Lots of alcohol. Tho’ it is wise to control one’s self in such an environment. I had some kind of fruity, colorful concoction. I don’t even know what was in it. Not exactly masculine, but damn was it good.
All you can drink. Just don’t make a loser of yourself by spilling it on a hypercar
This is what makes the Quail so special: even if you’re a nobody there, just another Joe, like myself, there for the glances and cars, it makes you feel special. Here I was, on a green surrounded by ems of millions of dollars of cars, talking to a Senna. As it turns out, Bruno is a most discreet and charming man, clearly a racer out to make a story for himself and not to live in his uncle’s shadow. Racing at Le Guy’s this year for Rebellion, his car was 1st or 2nd for most of the race before mechanical calamities struck. Bruno was consistently the fastest driver in his squad and the entire LMP2 class. We must’ve chatted for ten minutes when, oh who’s that? Is that sports car superstar Marino Franchitti pulling down in and joining the conversation? And oh snap! Here comes Indy five hundred winner and legend Gil de Ferran joining the fray.
Talking to these elite drivers, having them around you and hearing their stories and talking about their same passion for cars that we share is just mega. You become part of this celestial circle. These were guys you could lightly have a beer with and not worry about a lack of good banter. I’m disappointed I had not recommended it!
Oh yeah, I almost left behind: The cars. Now, I know this is Bimmerforums, but we are all car people; We just like cool, interesting cars. So let hit this right off the bat: Koenigsegg. Holy heck are they cool. After all the times eyeing them in the magazines and on YouTube, here I was ultimately next to not one, but maybe seven of them? They’re simply monumental to behold in person. Founder Christian von Koenigsegg is a car man through and through too, being the utmost friendly and relatable man. Another beer-worthy gentleman indeed.
The man himself, Christian von Koenigsegg
The barrage of Paganis present were dreamlike as well. I have seen them before but they never fail to dazzle with the level of detail that Horacio incorporates into his rolling desires.
Mr. Pagani signing his creation
Ferrari’s, Bugatti’s, Porsche’s, McLaren’s…the list of desirable cars on display was not lacking in the slightest.
It’s called the Kode 0, from the same man who penned the Enzo
Were there BMW’s? Heck yes! Well, I mean, not many- pretty sure I could count them all on my forearm, but there was one that was very, very significant on the pedestal: the fresh 8-Series. I’ll say it, the car looks good. The creases and flowing sheet-metal envelope a scrupulously killer car. I love the rear the most, it’s slender lights that flick up on the finishes flank the tapering, muscly arse and large air ducts. It’s almost odd, as the entire car is both round and acute. It engages the eye tremendously with a common design language used across. Nothing looks out of place. maybe except the cheap black plastic used for all air ducts, but that’s it. If BMW keeps it as close to the concept as possible, this is a ample win for BMW in putting some dramatic pressure into the lineup.
8-series garnered lots of attention. And rightly so
So there you have it. If you have the means (let’s just say it’s not cheap), I very recommend it. Even if not, it’s so worth going still. The practice is what you would consider a good wish, but it’s real life before your eyes. The Quail has become one of the staple events of the Monterey Car Week, and with that, it has become one of the best shows in North America. The combination is unbeatable in what makes it a truly memorable event. The cars, the people, the food, the drinks. It has everything. King for a day, as Green Day said.
A movie highlight reel will land soon, but for now, please love the linked photos of motoring paradise.
918 flanked by it’s forebear, the 959
Bruno Senna liking his very first Monterey Car Week
Marino Franchitti popping on over
CART and Indy five hundred Champ Gil de Ferran
Alfa Romeo Disco Volante
Douglas DC3 demonstrating off above
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Rolls Royce possessor crashes into box meant to protect his car
We go to good lengths to protect our cars. Whether that means parking your car in numerous spaces, investing in a garage, or buying a box to keep prying arms away from your dearest car, there’s one thing that remains the same — you need to park your car well in order to keep it safe. One car holder in Australia found this out first-hand, much to his chagrin.
It’s a tale as old as time — or at least as old as money. A rich man spends a lot of money on a car and then spends his nights worrying about keeping it safe. In this case, the car was a $645,000 (Australian Dollars) Rolls Royce Wraith. In U.S. currency that comes out to about a $400,000 USD Rolls Royce Wraith, depending on the day’s currency conversion rates.
The Wraith is a car that has no rivals in its class. Instead of being the classic ‘car to be chauffeured in’ it’s designed to be driven and driven well. The latter part is what the Australian proprietor evidently had trouble with.
Our Rolls driver wasn’t content with the parking facilities near his home. It wasn’t like he was parking on the street. The garage he was using had Lamborghinis and McLarens and even had a totally secure gate like these one. That wasn’t enough for him tho’. To ensure his investment was protected, he had a custom-made box built around his parking space.
Yes, you read that right. He put his $400,000 car in a box like a farm animal or a misbehaving pet. In theory, this should protect his car.
Unluckily, it takes some basic car navigation capability to stir in and out of a caged-in parking space — and most people seem to be incapable of parking in regular uncaged parking spaces! This cell the Rolls possessor had built to protect his car ended up being his downfall — he was incapable to make his way in and out of the parking space and ended up crashing into the cell!
A low-speed parking crash might seem like a minor inconvenience, but in this example, it turned out to be an expensive mistake. Not only was there assets harm to the exterior of the car, but he also lost a rear marker light, and bruised the steering to the point that the car had to be towed away for repairs.
There is a lesson to be learned here — if you can’t park your car don’t spend the money to cell in your parking space. You’ll end up regretting it.
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Instruments You Need for Working on Your BMW
Making the commitment to work on your BMW rather than sending it to a shop is commendable, but even with the money you save in labor, you’ll need to make an initial investment in devices. We’re not talking about spending thousands of dollars for BMW-specific VANOS adjustment toolkits from Germany, just the basics.
There’s nothing worse than getting halfway into a job and discovering you haven’t got the contraption you need to fix your car. With a little bad luck, this could mean undoing all your work so you can drive back to the auto parts store. Rather than have that happen, get these essentials in your garage before you get embarked.
Many BMWs come with a petite toolkit that folds down from the top of the trunk. In it, you’ll find around ten basic devices you can use to do basic jobs on your car, including box wrenches. You only need to attempt removing a battery with a box wrench once to learn the value of a good ratchet and socket set.
The service manual says those head studs should be tightened down to one hundred ft. lbs., but, hey, if you guesstimate, what could go wrong? The response is, fairly a bit. Instead of being hesitant and putting expensive BMW parts at risk, get yourself a torque wrench so you know when you’ve tightened things to the decent spec.
An air compressor is a particularly handy contraption for cars that do weekend warrior duty at the track. It’s effortless to let air out of your tires, but how do you air up without visiting a gas station? Install a compressor in your garage and you’ll be able to stiffen up those sidewalls before your track session. Just make sure you permit them to cool before letting air out — you could harm tires if you don’t wait.
Why isn’t that fresh head unit you installed working? Should you be worried about the life left in your alternator? Is that cracked window switch just not getting power, or is something else wrong? These questions and many more can all be answered by the handy electrical multimeter, a implement all car do-it-yourselfers should own.
Is a light a contraption? We say yes. When the sun goes down and you’re still knee-deep in a project, a work light lets you get the job done. Besides, if you fail, all the people at cars and coffee are going to give you crap about BMW reliability. Actually, they’ll very likely do that anyway — but the point remains, don’t be that Bimmer holder.
When you’re working on suspension components, wheels have to come off. When you’re working on other components, sometimes you need to get to suspension components. Influence guns make this effortless, and they can liquidate or install a entire lot more than just wheels. Plus, they make the coolest sound of any car instrument, so who wouldn’t want one?
This list will get you off to a good commence, and there are many more wise additions to your toolset you can make from here. Tooled with a solid set of contraptions, your BMW repairs will be cheaper, your bond with your car will be stronger — and, most importantly, your bank account will be fatter.
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Why You Should Work on Your Own BMW
Taking the plunge into BMW ownership is intimidating to many enthusiasts. Maybe you’ve always dreamed to practice what it’s like to drive a well-appointed car with fine-tuned treating dynamics, but are worried the maintenance costs will drive you into penury. Horror stories about the cost of parts and all the things that break are usually just that — stories.
Yes, the cost of maintaining a BMW is going to be greater than the cost of maintaining a Toyota Camry, and the driving practice is going to be more rewarding, but this isn’t the kind of life decision that keeps your kids from going to college. One of the best ways to offset these maintenance costs is by working on your BMW yourself.
We always recommend you have a mechanic inspect a car before you buy it. That one elementary step can save you a fortune in repairs. Assuming you don’t end up possessing a lemon, you can begin to service your BMW on your own on day 1.
Like any car, your BMW has an oil cap, wheel lugs and spark butt-plugs that all need to come off and on every so often. It has fluids that need to be substituted, and a battery that will also eventually need to tag out.
Every time you pay the dealer to do these things, you’re adding approximately $60 per hour in labor, and very likely an extra premium on the parts. Just because there’s a roundel on the spandex hood doesn’t switch the basic procedure — if you can switch the oil on a Bronco, you can switch the oil on a 3-series.
Getting Organized for Projects
One of the best ways to make working on your own car simpler is to have a usable workspace. Usually, that means getting your garage organized and having the right implements.
A good garage for car projects should be well-ventilated. It should ideally have a sealed floor that will keep spilled fluids from staining, and a power door with modern safety measures, such as a manual override and a laser sensor to make sure nothing is blocking the door.
You’ll also want to have a few cleaning supplies like microfiber towels, window cleaner, automotive detergent, and paraffin wax. A penny saved on detailing is still a penny saved on possessing a Bimmer.
When you’re feeling more convenient and perhaps have bought a factory service manual, you can attempt more involved jobs. Online resources like forums suggest a wealth of skill and step-by-step DIY instructions from people who’ve actually done these projects, so be sure to read up.
As you become more involved in the car community, you’ll meet other people with common interests. The car community tends to be very friendly when it comes to trading favors and sharing information, which is another way you can keep the costs of wielding a BMW from draining your bank account.
In the end, a little common sense is the best implement you have when working on your own car. We don’t recommend leaping into the hobby on an unloved early-production 8-series. The truly uncommon and exotic models will be more expensive to maintain — however, many of BMW’s finest works are effortless to find, cheap to buy and ordinary to work on.
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BMW To Unveil World Premiere Concept Car at the Monterey Car Week 2017
After an eighteen year hiatus, the ‘8 Series’ name comes back to the BMW portfolio with the BMW Concept eight Series shown on the Concept Lawn at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance this year. The BMW Concept eight Series serves as a preview of a forthcoming BMW model – the fresh BMW eight Series Coupe, slated for launch in 2018.
“The number eight and cars like the Z8 Roadster and i8 have represented the pinnacle of sports spectacle and exclusivity at BMW,” explains Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG Harald Krüger. “The forthcoming BMW eight Series Coupe will demonstrate that razor-sharp dynamics and modern luxury can go hand-in-hand. This will be the next model in the expansion of our luxury-car suggesting and will raise the benchmark for coupes in the segment. In the process, we will strengthen our claim to leadership in the luxury class.”
The BMW Concept eight Series exposes much of what is yet to come. “The BMW Concept eight Series is our take on a full-blooded high-end driving machine,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design. “It is a luxurious sports car which embodies both unadulterated dynamics and modern luxury like arguably no other. For me, it’s a slice of unspoiled automotive fascination.” The BMW Concept eight Series makes its North American debut after being very first shown at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in late May. The BMW Concept eight Series will be shown publicly at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering on Friday August 18th and on the Concept Lawn at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Sunday August 20th.
The aforementioned World Premiere BMW Concept vehicle also previews a fresh model that will come to market in 2018. The World Premiere BMW Concept will have its only North American public showcasing on the Concept Lawn of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Sunday August 20th.
BMW will again participate in the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion this year campaigning two historic cars driven by notable drivers. The famous one thousand nine hundred seventy five BMW Trio.0 CSL #25 will, one last time, be driven by former BMW of North America President Ludwig Willisch while the one thousand nine hundred seventy two ALPINA 2002ti will be driven by none other than Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW Group Head of Design.